Qin Xingguo
In 1922, Hu Shi compiled the "Chronology of Mr. Zhang Shizhai", Liang Qichao spoke highly of this book, and he said in the "Academic History of China in the Past Three Hundred Years": "Hu Shizhi's "Shi Zhai Spectrum" can not only capture the outline of the main scholarship, I still feel that it is not exhausted, and the trend of thought of the times, all of these works, are a grand decoration of modern academic circles." The Liang family is so beautiful, which shows that the "Chronology of Mr. Zhang Shizhai" was very famous at that time. In the "Chronology of Mr. Zhang Shizhai", Hu Shi explained the theory of "the six classics are all history" proposed by the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhang Xuecheng, and understood it as "the six classics are all historical materials". Did it deviate from Zhang Xuecheng's original purpose?
Hu shi
The Six Classics are all historical sources
When Hu Shi talked about Zhang Xuecheng's "Six Classics are History" in his book, he said, "We must understand the general outline of 'between heaven and earth, all works are history', and then we can understand the subheading of 'Six Classics are all history'" "In fact, Mr. Zhang Xuecheng's original intention is to say that all works are historical materials, so it is not difficult to understand it. Mr. Li's proposition is that the Six Classics are all the political codes of the previous kings, because they are political codes, so they all have the value of historical materials." "If you push it with two subsets, then mr. Li's statement that 'the six classics are all history' is actually just saying that there are many historical materials in the scriptures." Hu Shi's words are very clear, he believes that Zhang Xuecheng's "all works are history" is just "all works are historical materials", so the Six Classics are also included in this "all works", so Zhang Xuecheng's so-called "Six Classics are History" can naturally be understood in Hu Shi's place as "the Six Classics are all historical materials".
Coincidentally, Hu Shi was advocating a movement to sort out the national past at this time. In 1919, Hu Shi wrote an article entitled "The Significance of new ideological trends", in which he proposed to "study problems, import theories, sort out the national past, and reconstruct civilization", which was the first time he mentioned the concept of "sorting out the national past", which was the beginning of the movement to sort out the national past. In 1922, in his speech at Southeast University, when talking about the "method of studying the national past", he mentioned Zhang Xuecheng:
Nowadays, the average youth, so there is no interest in studying the country, that is, there is no concept of history. We look at old books, but when he does history. During the Qianlong Dynasty, there was a man named Zhang Xuecheng who wrote a book called "Literature and History of Tongyi", which said, "The Six Classics are all histories." I will now further say that all old books and ancient books are history. Originally, the concept of history spontaneously became interested.
Hu Shi once again emphasized Zhang Xuecheng's "six classics are history", and further stated that "all old books and ancient books are history" and should look at old books from the concept of history. In 1923, he said in an article entitled "Declaration of the Publication of the > Quarterly Journal of < Sinology":
All the past cultural history of China is our national cause, and the study of all the history and culture of all these past is the study of the past, which is called the study of the country, and the province is called the study of the country... Therefore, we must expand the field of Sinology, including the past culture of the past three or four thousand years, break all portal stereotypes, unify everything from the perspective of history, and realize that the mission of Guoguo Studies is to sort out all the history and culture of China, and then we can sweep away all narrow views of the portal.
Hu Shi referred to all the cultural history of China's past as the national history, and he had to study it "from the perspective of history", and naturally included the Six Classics. He further said:
The method of Sinology is to use the perspective of history to sort out the history of all past cultures, the purpose of Sinology is to become the history of Chinese culture, the systematic study of Sinology should take this as the destination, and the study of all Sinology, no matter the ancient and modern times, no matter the size of the problem, must go in this general direction, and only this purpose can unify all materials.
That is to say, it is necessary to use the perspective of history to sort out the history of all past cultures, and the study of China's past learning is nothing more than "unifying all materials", and Hu Shi's understanding seems to be highly consistent with his understanding of Zhang Xuecheng's understanding of "the six classics are all history".
Zhang Xuecheng
In his understanding of the Book of Poetry, Hu Shi has always been consistent and regards it as a material for the study of history. In 1925, Hu Shi gave a lecture on the Book of Poetry at Wuchang University (later Wuhan University) and said:
The Book of Verses is not a classic. In the past, people regarded this Book of Poetry as very sacred, saying that it is a classic, and we must now break this concept; if this concept cannot be broken, the Book of Poetry can simply not be studied. Because the Book of Verses is not a Bible, it is indeed a collection of ancient songs and ballads, which can be used as materials for social history, political history, and cultural history. It must not be said that it is a sacred scripture.
Obviously, Hu Shi wants to classicize and sanctify, and only uses the Book of Poetry as historical material for social history, political history, or cultural history. The reason why Hu Shi interpreted Zhang Xuecheng's formulation of "six classics are all histories" into "six classics are all historical materials" is closely related to his launching to sort out the affairs of the country, and it can even be understood in this way.
Hu Shi's supporters and critics
Hu Shi's reference to "the six classics are all historical materials" was a lot of acquaintances at that time. In 1923, Liang Qichao pointed out in a speech at Southeast University:
The first way is the part of the cause of "sorting out the country's history" that people have talked about in recent times. The most extensive, difficult and interesting thing about this part of the cause is history, we are a nation with five thousand years of culture... But even in terms of the existing canonical history, other histories, miscellaneous histories, chronicles, chronicles, legal codes, political affairs, Fang Zhi, genealogies, and various notes and gold and stone inscriptions, etc., the library of the ten-story building can not be tolerated, from the perspective of historians, word by word, all contain extremely valuable historical materials, and not only historical books, all ancient books, there are many people who see him as useless, take him as history to read, all immediately become useful, Zhang Shizhai said "the six classics are history", this sentence I did not dare to approve; but from the historian's foothold, said "the six classics are historical materials", That's it.
Liang Qichao deeply praised Hu Shi's campaign to sort out the national history, and his view was the same as that of Hu Shi, that is, he emphasized that all historical materials in the past were seen from the perspective of historians, and Zhang Xuecheng's "Six Classics are All Histories" is also "Six Classics are Historical Materials".
Hu Shi's tall foot Gu Jiegang is quite impressive, and he regards the material of scripture as the material of history:
I have always had a clear understanding of the goal of their scriptures, knowing that their task in administering the scriptures is not to prolong the life of the scriptures, but to promote the death of the scriptures, so that we will not have the scriptures in the future, but will turn the materials of the scriptures into the materials of ancient history and the history of ancient ideas.
His understanding of Zhang Xuecheng's "Six Classics are All History" is the same as Hu Shi's, and he regards the Six Classics as a material for learning, and the study of scriptures is only archaeology, not Xisheng:
Since the Qing Dynasty's Pu Xueshi made on-the-spot efforts, studied it a bit, and knew that the "scriptures that teach the world" were "the history books of a generation of canons", but it was a history book, so the efforts of interpretation and examination were of course no different from historiography. Zhang Xuecheng handled this trend and worked hard to make judgments, so he said that "the six classics are all history" and "the greatest achievement of the six classics is not in Confucius, but in the Zhou Gong". Looking at the Six Classics is the material of learning, do not regard learning as a servant of the Six Classics. It is clear to say that the previous theory of the boundaries of scripture has been completely withdrawn, and that those who do scripture are only archaeologists, not Xisheng.
Liang Qichao and Gu Jiegang both regarded the Six Classics as materials for studying history, which is completely consistent with Hu Shi's interpretation of "the six classics are all history". According to their train of thought, since they are historical materials, the Six Classics have become things of the past, only as objects of collation and study.
Hu Shi interpreted Zhang Xuecheng's statement that "the six classics are all histories" as "the six classics are all historical materials", which was also criticized by the people of the time. Qian Xuantong responded to This question raised by Hu Shi in his diary in 1922:
According to Zhang's "Baosun Yuanru Shu", "The six special saints take these six kinds of history to the ears of the trainers", which means that "the six classics are all historical materials". I don't think much of this statement, not only is there a loss of explanation of the addition of words, but it is actually incompatible with the whole book of "Literature and History".
Qian Shi did not shy away from expressing that hu Shi's "six classics are all historical materials" is not true, but it is "a mistake in adding words to explain", which is not consistent with Zhang Xuecheng's "Literature and History Tongyi" encyclopedia, Qian Xuantong went on to say that "Zhang Shizhai is by no means 'all works are historical materials', but he is also a toku reform, because he wants 'Fang Zhi li three books', because He wants 'Fang Zhi Li Three Books', Because To 'Zhi' is in the "Book of Shang", "Spring and Autumn", "To 'Palm' in the "Li", "Wen Zheng' in the "Poetry" ear". Qian's meaning is that the "six classics are all histories" mentioned by Zhang Xuecheng are not the historical materials mentioned by Hu Shi, but are full of sustenance, but in fact, they contain the meaning of the classics.
Liang Qichao's disciple Yao Mingda, when compiling the Annals of Mr. Zhang Shizhai for Hu Shi, also expressed his dissatisfaction:
If it is translated in the present language, then the so-called book of comparison is the so-called historical material of our people. Although history is not separated from historical materials, historical materials cannot be called historiography in the end. Mr. Hu Shizhi wrote the Annals of Shi Zhai and shi Shi Zhai that "between the heavens and the earth, all the forests involved in the works are historiography", which means that "all works are historical materials", but the distinction between historiography and historical materials has not yet been deeply examined. Read the books of the ancients, know their meanings, if the ancients are easy and easy?
Yao Mingda separated historiography and historical materials, historiography does not depart from historical materials, and historical materials do not fully represent historiography, criticizing Hu Shi for failing to examine the two in depth, he said, "What it means is that what history contains are all actual traces of personnel affairs, the laws of ancient times exist, the Tao is in the law, there are not two, the Dao law exists in history, and there is no Dao Fa outside of the history", Yao Shi felt that there was a Dao Fa in history. Qian Mu said in the article "Masterpieces of Chinese Historiography":
This historical character in these four characters (the history of the six classics) has been misread by us modern scholars such as Liang Rengong and Hu Shizhi. They all looked up to Shi Zhai, but they couldn't see the word "history" that Shi Zhai said, "The Six Classics are all history." Liang Rengong once said that the account books on the cabinets of pork sellers could also be used as historical materials to study the socio-economic or other situation at that time. Is this the original meaning of Zhang Shi Zai Li's statement? Zhang Shizhai's so-called "Six Classics are All History" in the so-called "Wenshi Tongyi", this "history" character, obviously has a way of saying, that is, in the "Wenshi Tongyi" special article called "Shi Shi", it is precisely to explain this "history" word, not like our neighbor Liang and Hu Zhuzhi said.
Qian Mu criticized Liang Qichao and Hu Shi's view of "the six classics are all history", and refuted it by citing the "Historical Interpretation" in the "Literature and History Tongyi", and he continued to point out in the "Academic History of China in the Past Three Hundred Years" that "the theory of the six classics of Zhang's is all history, and the lord uses the same scriptures and administers the government affairs." Qian Mu understands Zhang Xuecheng's "six classics are all histories" from the perspective of the classics, which is completely different from Hu Shi's statement that "the six classics are all historical materials".
Qian Xuantong and Qian Mu both viewed Zhang Xuecheng's "Six Classics are History" from the perspective of the scriptures, that is, the six classics can be used by the world. Yao Mingda, on the other hand, viewed the "Six Classics are all histories" from the perspective of history, believing that there is a Way and a Law in history, and the two can actually be classified into one category, that is, the Six Classics are not historical materials, can be related to personnel affairs, and have their inherent value.
Hu Shi's interpretation of the deviation
Zhang Xuecheng's theory of "the six classics are all history" was first created in 1788. In this year, he said in a letter to Sun Xingyan: "What the fool sees, thinks that in the midst of heaven and earth, all the forests involved in writings are historiography, and the six sutras hold the sages to take these six kinds of history to teach the ears of the people." Later, Zhang Xuecheng formally proposed in the "Literature and History Tongyi YiJiaoshang": "The six classics are all history. The ancients did not write books, the ancients did not try to deviate from the matter, and the six classics were all the political codes of the first kings. ”
These two passages of Zhang Xuecheng's text are very refined, and to understand the "six classics are all history", we must first understand the meaning of "history" in Zhang Xuecheng's eyes. Zhang Xuecheng specifically explained "history" in the "Literature and History Of Tongyi And Shi Interpretation":
Or ask the history of the "Zhou Guan" fu history, and the history of internal history, external history, Taishi, Xiaoshi, and Imperial History, there is a difference between the history of the imperial history? A: No different meaning also. In the history of the prefectural history, the Shu people were those who served in the official service, and the so-called scribes of today are also. The Five Histories, the Secretary, the Doctor, and the Scholar, are in charge of the books, chronicles, orders, and French affairs, and now the so-called Six Branches of the Cabinet and the Hanlin Zhongshu belong to it. The distinction between official service, the gap between high and low, and the judgment of the flow of the line are like a small place. However, those who have no different righteousness are all in charge, and the way of the first king is also preserved by the Dhamma.
Zhang Xuecheng sorted out the concept of "history" in the "Zhou Li", and it was obvious that in his eyes, "history" was the history of officials, and shou shou was in charge, "the way of the first king with the law", and its foothold lay in the Tao. He continued to discuss the "History of the Six Classics" in the article "Ji and Dai Dongyuan on the Revision of History":
Woohoo! The path is unclear for a long time. The Six Classics are all historical. "The metaphysical is called the way, and the metaphysical is called the instrument." Confucius's "Spring and Autumn" also says: "The empty words I want to trust are better than the profound clarity of my actions." "However, the facts of the canon, the author does not dare to ignore, the cover will be the instrument and the ear. Its book is enough to make it clear, and the matter of the beans is stored, and the gentleman does not think that it is trivial. The tao is unclear and the instrument is argued for, the truth is insufficient and the text is competing, and its disadvantages and empty words defeat the Chinese argument, and the one who is hurting the reasoning cannot be inches away, and the drowning people of the world do not notice it.
From Zhang's words, we can see that the fact of the canon is the instrument, which is very important, and can be "the instrument and the way". He further stated that the Six Classics are also instruments, and he said in the Wenshi Tongyi Yuandao:
"Yi" said: "The metaphysical is called the tao, and the metaphysical is called the instrument." "The Tao does not leave the instrument, and the shadow does not leave the form." Later generations of teachers who serve the Master have been from the Six Classics, and they have said that the Six Classics contain the Book of the Tao, but they do not know that the Six Classics are all instruments. "Yi" is a book, so the opening of things into business, in the "Spring Official" Taibu, then inherently official and listed in the palm of the old. "Book" in foreign history, "poetry" leading masters, "Li" from Zongbo, Le Yousicheng, "Spring and Autumn" each has a national history. Three generations ago, the six arts of poetry and book were not taught, and it was better for future generations to respect the six classics, not as a Confucian discipline, but specifically called the book of the Tao.
Zhang Shi emphasized that "the Tao does not leave the instrument, and the shadow does not depart from the form", which is consistent with his view of "that is, the instrument and the clear way", but at the same time, it cannot "the tao is unclear and the instrument is disputed", for history, it cannot be satisfied with the reason, he said in the "Literature and History Tongyi Yangong":
The sub-lists of "Qu Jia", "Meng Xun", "Lao Zhuang Shen Han", "Marquis of the Same Surname" and "Marquis of Different Surnames" did not invent at the beginning, but only the title, the meaning of praise and depreciation, implicitly implied in it, is the greatest of the words. Shi Gui knows its meaning, not the same as the palm of the hand, only to seek the end of the text. The Master said, "The empty words that I want to carry are better than the profound clarity of my deeds." "This is also the purpose of Shi Shi.
Zhang Shi pointed out that "to make a historian know its meaning, it is not the same as the palm of the story, but only to seek the end of the text", which means that the historian's writings contain praise and criticism, not the palm of the reason, but to understand the meaning.
In this way, we can understand that Zhang Xuecheng's so-called "six classics are all history" is that the six classics are all derived from history, and history is the political code of the first king, so as to preserve the way of the first king, and history must not only keep the historical duty, but also clarify the historical meaning and the historical way. Hu Shi interpreted "the six classics are all history" as "the six classics are all historical materials", which obviously deviated from Zhang's original purpose, not only did not pay attention to the historical position, but also completely drowned out the historical meaning and historical tao. On the one hand, we must understand Hu Shi's original intention of bringing out Zhang Xuecheng in order to launch a campaign to sort out the national history, so that the "Six Classics are All History" will be deduced and extended; on the other hand, we must also understand Hu Shi's deviation from the interpretation of "The Six Classics are All History".
Editor-in-Charge: Zhong Yuan
Proofreader: Luan Meng